The Trials to Come
by Elora Dark
Summary: 6 th year SIrius is brought back by a young woman with a dark past and possibly darker future. please review even if you hate it, just tell me why :)
1. Beyond the Looking Glass

Author: Elora Dark

Title: The Trials to Come

Rating: R for language 

Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling (because if I were I would not have killed Sirius in the first place), nor do I make any money from this story. All characters, except Roan Draven, belong to Ms. Rowling. 

Author's Note: I have made some adjustments to Roan and her magical abilities due to the fact that I had a few reviewers say she was over the top. Thank you for your helpful criticism because I originally thought that as well. 

Chapter 1: Through the looking Glass 

            It was a warm summer evening at Number 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging. A lanky, thin young man was thoroughly engaged in reading a large and ancient looking book in the rapidly dimming light. "BOY GET IN HERE!" the yell broke the natural silence like a pebble being thrown into a pond. The young man begrudgingly closed his book and looked towards the open back door from which the demand had emanated. 

"Yes, Vernon?" Harry asked, scowling at the fat, purple faced man. 

Harry had ceased using the terms Aunt and Uncle when addressing Petunia and Vernon when he returned for the summer holiday. He regarded Number 4 as nothing more then a safe haven a few weeks out of the year where the magical protection his mother had died to give him could be recharged. He had made a special effort to keep as much distance between himself and the Dursley's this summer, going so far as to only eating when they had gone to bed and going to the park all day only retreating when he heard 'Big-D' and his cronies returning from a day of delinquency. 

"How many timed do I have to tell you to keep your…abnormality confined to your room?" Vernon's purple, mustached face met Harry at the door. 

One of his sausage like fingers jabbed violently at the bulky book Harry clutched. "Mysteries of Death: What truly lies in  the Beyond and How to Retrieve it" was the title visible above Harry's arm.

 "And how many times do I have to tell you to stop spying on me?" Harry's voice was a deadly whisper and his brilliant emerald eyes shined dangerously. 

Vernon nervously licked his lips, not knowing what to expect from Harry. No one, including his closest friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, knew what to expect from Harry anymore. He had become quiet a different person after the death of his godfather, Sirius Black, the last person Harry considered a part of his family. The night he returned to Privet Drive, Harry had sent Hedwig to Knockturn Alley with a list of books that could only be purchased from one of those dark and foreboding shops. The books had all been about death and the beyond; Harry was determined to find a way to bring Sirius back or at the very least a way to contact him.

Harry, who had grown several more inches within the past month, was now taller than all the Dursley's. He walked around Vernon's bulky frame and left the kitchen to retreat to his room. He slammed to door and threw the ancient book into a dark corner. 

"One would think that Knockturn Alley, a haven for the dark arts, would have some useful literature." He muttered angrily to the empty room, Hedwig had been gone several days. 

She was delivering letters to Ron and Hermione as well as his new pen pals, Remus Lupin, Tonks, and Mad-Eye Moody. Their letter were always the same, "Harry how are you? How are the muggle's treating you? I'm here if you ever want to talk about anything. Hope to see you soon." He knew they were truly worried about him, but he didn't care. His fate was sealed, in one way or another murder was in his impending future.

            Harry rubbed his scar absentmindedly, it throbbed everyday. Sometimes when Voldemort was exceptionally angry, as had been the case a few weeks ago when Bellatrix had been punished, Harry got violently sick. But afterwards a sick feeling of glee had overcome him, knowing that Bellatrix had been tortured to the brink of death. 

His revere was broken by a loud knock at the front door. The knock echoed loudly in Harry's room, which immediately caught his attention. A normal knock would have been a dull thud when the reverb reached his room. He flung open the door and came running down the stairs. Petunia gave a shrill cry of surprise as Harry nearly collided with Vernon, who had reached the door first. Harry's heart thudded painfully in his chest, he was sure it would crack a rib with the next beat. 

Could this be it? The Order needed him, the battle had begun, the Weasley's were coming to take him to the Burrow, anything….but there was no one at the door. "Bloody neighbor kids, always causing trouble. They could learn a thing from our young gentleman, Dudley." Vernon growled. As whenever Dudley was mentioned, Petunia uttered a small sniff and shook her head. "Yes, our little Dudlykins…"

Harry turned disbelieving from the door and Vernon, disgust and anger rising in him like a tidal wave. "And what do you think your doing galloping down the stairs, eh? I severely doubt one of _those_ people would know how to properly knock on a door." Vernon spat towards the back of Harry's head. 

Harry clenched his fists and took a deep shuddering breath. His temper was becoming easier to flare and harder to control everyday. A second and louder knock reverberated throughout the house causing the windows to shake. "Now that's quite enough!" Vernon roared throwing the door open again. Harry instead ran into the kitchen and wrenched open the backdoor. For a split second, Harry believed the cloaked figure to be a dementor, before it shook the hood back to reveal fire red hair.

"Harry Potter, I presume." The young woman said in a distinct Irish accent, holding out her hand and staring Harry in the eyes. This was something Harry was quiet unused to, whenever a witch or wizard met him their eyes automatically flicked to his forehead to see the lightening shape scar that made him famous. He took the young woman's cold hand tentatively, at once images flooded into Harry's head. 

"Your still not practicing your Occlumency, Severus will be most displeased… and _Those_ books aren't doing a thing to lighten your mood either." The young woman said stepping into the unnaturally clean kitchen as Harry stood dumbstruck.

 "And who the BLOODY HELL are you?" Vernon screamed as he charged into the kitchen. 

"A friend of the family." She replied coolly. Vernon looked horrified, he stared from Harry's amused to face to the shorter cloaked young woman. 

"Your no friend of mine, you….you_ freak_!" Vernon said, his voice shaking from either fear or anger, Harry believed it to be from the latter.

"Quite correct, Muggle" she hissed, "I am no friend of yours, nor would I ever want to be. Harry has a rather…ah, extended family, albeit not one of blood, in our world." An electric energy seemed to be radiating from the young woman. Vernon sensing this energy, took a few steps back and pushed Petunia behind him. 

"You can't d-do anything, I know the rules!" Vernon said his voice truly shaking now.

 "Oh, but I can, muggle. I'm 22 and an adult by all standards, wizarding and otherwise." Petunia gave a small cry as the woman mentioned wizards. The girl turned suddenly back to Harry, "Do you have somewhere, erm, more private where we could speak. This is quite important and I'm already on borrowed time." 

"Um yeah, follow me." Harry said, staring at the girl a moment longer than necessary. Her eyes were completely black, a complete contrast to  her porcelain white skin. She smiled expectantly, "Oh, um, yeah" he muttered. Harry led her out of the kitchen and swore he heard her utter a low growl as they passed Vernon and Petunia.

Harry opened his bedroom door and was suddenly struck at how untidy his room was, this was after all the first time a young woman had stepped foot in his sanctuary. He immediately started throwing everything within reach into a far corner. "Don't bother, you should see my place…and I'm allowed to use magic whenever I feel the need." She smiled closing the door behind her. She unclasped the emerald green traveling cloak and stepped out of it. It fluttered in the air lazily, "Over there" the girl pointed to Harry's wardrobe where the cloak fluttered gracefully to a stop.

 "Well, I suppose I should explain to you why I'm here." She said sheepishly, color flooding into her pale cheeks. She flicked her wand and all Harry's things flew into their correct places, she flicked it again and two chairs appeared. Harry looked surprised, he expected an owl from the Ministry of Magic to come rapping at the window with another expulsion warning. "Loophole in the law, I'm of legal age, the muggles know you're a wizard and your curtains are closed" she said sitting down. 

"You said you're a friend of my parents," Harry started.

 "No, I said I'm a friend of your family. I never knew your parents. I'm a friend of Remus and Sirius. My name is Roan Draven, I'm a member of the Order of the Phoenix." she said. 

"How come I never met you at Grimmauld place?" Harry asked. 

"I've been on away missions, I spent a lot of time with Sirius when everyone else was gone." She smiled slightly. 

Harry looked at his feet when she mentioned Sirius. Roan suddenly reached out and grabbed Harry's hand. He was surprised at first how cold her hand felt, but then at warmth that seemed to spread from her palm to him. Harry looked at her hand and noticed a large pentagram tattoo on her hand as well as a small snake, barely visible under a large bracelet. Harry turned her wrist over and ripped the bracelet off. An angry red tattoo of a skull with a snake coming out of its mouth marred the otherwise pale skin. 

She snatched her hand back, "I'll explain that later that isn't why I'm here…" Harry temper was again flaring.

 "Who the hell are you?" Harry whispered, anger blazing behind his beautiful eyes. 

"Damn it Harry! I'm here to tell you about Sirius." she yelled at him.

 "Sirius is dead." Harry said slouching back in the chair.

 "No, he was knocked into the veil, yes, but he chose not to pass on. His love for life, his love for you, Harry kept him in… in a limbo between life and death." Roan said, once again grasping Harry's hand. 

"How do you know this?" Harry asked, his heart began to pound but he would not allow himself to believe the possibility. 

"I'm an empath, do…do you know what that is?" Roan asked her eyes searching his face. 

Harry did remember something Professor Trelawney said during a lesson, it hadn't been much because the Professor did not believe it possible to foresee anything relying on human emotions or memories. She said to the class, "Even muggles can have traces of so called 'empathic powers'. No one in the wizarding community gives empaths an ounce of respect, its not real magic…Emotion fogs the eye, the only true way of foretelling is to rely on tangible evidence."

"Once, once I make a connection with someone it lasts forever…until that person is dead. I was away in Transylvania on the night of the battle. I felt Remus and Sirius, I felt them, I saw them through their own eyes fighting with every thing they had to save you. I felt Sirius's shock and anger as he fell into the veil.  And Remus, his anger, and heartache…I felt it. But the connection with Sirius did not end, I still felt him. He was lost in the darkness and angry with himself at not being quick enough." She paused, swallowing hard. Harry stared at her, his face set as if in stone. "They told me he was dead, that what I was feeling was residual from our connections," 

Harry interrupted, "Your connections…were you shagging Sirius?" He sounded incredulous, as if she had come all this way to reveal Sirius's sex life to him.

 She smiled grimily, "No, a connection is much more intimate than sex, Harry. You have to completely release yourself to… well to me. I can take or give memories as well as emotions. I see what they see, I feel what they feel…You've no idea what Sirius went through. First being locked up in Azkaban for 13 years, then when he starts to breathe free air…to be locked up in that house with Kreacher and that woman." She spat the names as if they had a repulsive taste. "That woman" being the enchanted painting of Sirius's mother that screamed insults and Kreacher the treacherous house elf. 

"I did what I could to ease his frustrations, to make it more bearable for him to be confined…" Roan stopped again, angry for getting off topic again. She checked the watch she wore on her other wrist, it now flashed "HURRY UP!!!". 

"Right, anyways, as I was saying…Look Harry, Sirius was not dead, nor is he dead now. 

"What are you saying, are you saying Sirius is alive?" Harry said, now grabbing Roan's hand. She winced slightly,

 "Yes, I'm here to tell you so you don't think we hid him from you. Sirius wants to see you so badly, but…but it's not safe yet. You have to wait for the guard to escort you. He was stuck 6 weeks between worlds. I used ancient magic, _forbidden_ magic to retrieve him…I had to, I knew he wasn't dead, he would remain stuck between life and death forever." She paused wringing her hands anxiously. "After all that we nearly got caught on the way out. "she smiled remembering. "I've since been put on probation at the Order. Dumbledore wasn't angry per say, more afraid of what might have come through the veil had I not been able to call Sirius back. I'm technically not allowed to leave the house. I'm helping Sirius recover… and well they don't want me to get in any more trouble."

"I want to see him, now! I have to…" Harry jumped up and ran to his closet, he grabbed his broom and was half way out of the window when Roan gently placed a hand on his shoulder. 

"Not yet, Harry. Not in person, anyways. Where's the mirror he gave you?" Roan asked gently. Harry's heart sank like lead, he had shattered it when Sirius had not answered. 

"It's gone, I broke it…he didn't answer." Harry said lamely.

 "Well, where are the shards?" Roan asked as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.

 Harry flung open his school chest and started pulling out everything. Roan muttered "Repairo" and the shards flew together and the mirror hung suspended in front of Harry. With shaking hands he grasped the mirror, "Si..Sirius" Harry's voice cracked, his hands shook so badly he was afraid he'd drop the mirror and brake it again. The mirror remained empty for several seconds and then suddenly, Sirius's gaunt face appeared. 

"Nice to see you, Harry!" Sirius smiled, a true smile that partially covered the tired grinding in his voice. Harry stared in shock, a lump had formed in his throat that no amount of swallowing could move. "Sirius…I…Hi" he finally mumbled, all the things Harry had dreamed of saying to Sirius were they ever reunited had disappeared.

 "You look tired, Harry, not sleeping much?" Sirius asked, his magical reflection looking worried.  

"No, been reading a lot." Harry glanced at the stack of book from Knockturn Alley. All had the words death somewhere in the title.

 "Roan still there?" Harry was hurt and suddenly angry that Sirius had nothing else to say to him. 

"Yeah, Si, I'm about to head out. How much time do I have?" she asked.

 "Not much , kid. You know it's a full moon, right? Snape and Remus will have your ass if you're not back before they are!" Sirius let out a bark like laugh and then was seized by a fit of coughing. 

"Aye, aye sir. Back to bed and drink the rest of that poison, um I mean potion I made for you. It'll make you look less dead."  Roan said smiling to Sirius's reflection, she handed the mirror back to Harry and turned to leave the room. 

"Harry, call on me later I really need to rest…and make a diversion if Roan is late," Sirius said.

 "Uh, yeah, talk to you later Sirius." Harry placed the mirror reverently on his bed. He stood, slouching slightly and staring at nothing in particular. 

"Well, it was truly lovely meeting you. You were just how They described you, except taller with messier hair." She added smiling. "See you soon." Roan opened the door and left the room, her cloak floating onto her shoulders and clasping itself 

"I'll..I'lll walk you out" Harry called following her outside.

Harry walked Roan out into the dark back yard, where they stood awkwardly for  a moment. "Well, goodbye then" Roan said, she closed her eyes, preparing to disapparate. Suddenly Harry stepped forward and awkwardly hugged Roan. 

"Thank you." He whispered into the Roan's firey hair. 

She stepped back and looked up into Harry's brilliant green eyes, "I didn't do it to get thanks. I did it because I had to." She smiled and with a loud pop she was gone.

Harry stood alone in the darkness for a long time, thinking over everything that had just happened. For the first time in weeks Harry felt as if his heart was finally beating again. He been so obsessed with death he'd forgotten to live, hell he'd forgotten his own 16th birthday. But now, after 6 weeks of mourning, Sirius, his godfather, his father's best friend, and the closest thing Harry had ever had to a real father was alive. He had someone to talk to, who would understand. He wasn't alone anymore, not that he ever was alone what the Ron and his family plus Hermione and not to mention the Order. But still, Sirius's apparent death had hit Harry hard and now…. And now he could feel his heart beat again.


	2. Reprimands and Lycanthropes

Author: Elora Dark, email: eloradark@hotmail.com

Title: The Trials to Come

Rating: R for language 

Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling (because if I were I would not have killed Sirius in the first place), nor do I make any money from this story. All characters, except Roan Draven, belong to Ms. Rowling. 

Chapter 2: Reprimands and Lycanthropes 

            With a much controlled 'pop', Roan apparated in a tree covered lot near Grimmauld Place. She looked around to see if any lights were on in surrounding houses and more importantly if any Order members were closing in. Seeing nothing she ran straight up the walk between numbers 11 and 13, concentrating on number 12. It appeared right before she slammed into the wall. She grabbed the door knob and rushed into the house.

            As soon as the door closed, the drapes surrounding Mrs.Black's enchanted painting sprung open. "Half-breed blood mongrel, filthy traitor of the Dark Lord, may blood curses rain down on your head…Werewolf!" the painting screamed its insults as Roan calmly placed her cloak on a nearby coat rack. 

            "Lovely to see you too , Mother Black! Sorry to hear that you haven't come up with anything new to scream at me. I mean, really…You've sunk to stating common fact, everyone in this house already knows I'm a werewolf!" Roan bellowed back at the painting. Mrs. Black looked slightly taken aback, usually people ignore her insults. Roan smiled showing now very pointed teeth. "Oh…and I've figured out how to rid your presence from this house for good." Roan said in a deviously low voice.

Mrs. Black once again resumed her screaming, "Filthy half-breed magics will never remove me from my own home!"

"Hmm, Lets just see about that shall we?" Roan raised her wand and pointed it directly at Mrs. Blacks vulture like frame. "Impediment un flamentia!" Roan called. The painting shot from the wall and fell to a pile of ashes at Roan's feet.

"How in the hell did you figure that out?" Sirius asked as he came limping down the stairs.

"Harry, actually. He's been reading a lot into of Dark Arts surrounding death," Roan said slowly turning to face Sirius. "So did I beat them?" Roan asked, eyebrows raised.

"Well…" Sirius began. 

"No and If. You. Ever. Apparate that close again I will personally make sure you are forbidden to leave this house." A dangerous voice answered her. 

"Severus, I've been meaning to thank you for making that extra strength wolfsbane draught," Roan said brightly.

"Very cocky aren't we? The moon rose, what forty five minutes ago. At least Lupin has the sense to lock himself in the basement. But You? You go apparating all over England…did you go to Potter?" Snape said looking from Roan to Sirius.

"I wanted to see my godson, Severus." Sirius forced his voice to remain polite, "She was doing me a favor." He finished, stepping between Roan and Snape.

"I think she's done enough, ah, favors for you." Snape whispered, leering at Sirius and then Roan.

Roan suddenly collapsed clutching her abdomen in pain. "Help me into the cellar, damn it!" Roan moaned, her voice straining as the familiar pain of bones and joints breaking, stretching and healing immediately shook her frame. Sirius opened a small door in the side of the staircase as Snape pulled Roan, one hand attached to a convulsing ankle, the other around his wand. He pushed Roan's rapidly transforming figure down the stairs, rather than risk being attacked by Remus. She collapsed in a shuttering pile a few feet from Remus's naked form.

A few moments later twin howls, sounding eerily like human screams of pain erupted from the cellar as Roan and Remus completed their transfiguration. The walls of 12 Grimmauld Place being reinforced with magic, there was no worry that  the muggle neighbors would hear the howling. 

"They should calm down in a few minutes. I had to make that potion extra strong, being that Draven's lycanthropy isn't exactly as natural as Lupin's," Severus muttered not exactly speaking to Sirius. Sirius remained indifferent, but secretly cursed himself for not being strong enough to transfigure and join the werewolves. He turned away from the cellar door and retreated to his room.

Sirius emerged the next morning to find the cellar door open. He cautiously poked his head in the door frame and saw the shredded remains of two dress robes. "Sorry about your robe, Remus, I'll buy some new ones. I'm not used to being confined." Roans voice floated through the quiet din of Black manor to Sirius's ears. Sirius turned away from the cellar  and followed the stairs leading down into the spacious kitchen. 

"Good morning, Padfoot!" Remus called brightly.

"Would you like a cup of coffee, love?" Roan asked smiling. Sirius nodded and walked to a chair at the head of the table.

Both Remus and Roan looked like they had been through the battle of their lives. Roan had a split lip, large blue and purple bruises covering most of her once pale skin, a nasty gash that caused her to keep her right eye in a constant squint and nasty red bites on her shoulders and neck. And, Sirius noted, her new shirt which she had been so proud of purchasing in a muggle shop with muggle money, was now in tattered shreds. Her back was also covered in deep red gashes. Remus looked little better, except perhaps that he had several scratches covering his handsome face. A surge of anger and jealousy filled Sirius; the two had obviously had more than a dog fight. "Calm down, old man, you know they can't control themselves. I doubt they even remember what happened. It's not like you and her have anything." Sirius thought furiously.

Roan passed him a steaming cup of coffee and smiled, not looking him in the eyes. "Guess _she_ remembers what happened," Sirius thought "Why haven't you two cleaned up yet?" he asked into his coffee cup.

"Didn't want to wake up any of the paintings." Roan answered. 

"Well, plus Snape has our wands and he's either gone for the day or, more likely ignoring us." Remus stated, frowning slightly.

"Speaking of Severus, when did he enchant his door with a burning curse." Roan asked, raising her left hand, which aside from having another bite on it was bright red as if she'd held it under scalding water.

"Two day ago when I was informed the Weasley's, all of them, Granger, and Potter would be joining us… well they should be here any moment," Snape sneered, looking over Remus, Roan, and Sirius. 

"Bloody Hell Severus! Do you have to come sneaking out of the shadows?" Roan asked, dramatically clutching her chest.

"Just because I don't spend hours screaming at paintings or hurtling up and down the stairs, does not mean I 'sneak'," Snape spat, tossing Roan and Remus their wands.

"You could have informed us that guests were arriving before I sent Roan to Little Whinging yesterday." Sirius said, glairing at Snape. 

"He did it so he could hold something else against me at the meeting." Roan muttered. 

Snape smiled at her, "I try not to hold grudges, Draven. I merely want Dumbledore informed of the rash actions of a potential Hogwarts professor." Snape said turning away from the trio.

"You know, Potions Master, I never got to tell you but… you were _always_ my favorite Professor. Especially after you stopped your Slytherins from sending me muzzles and choke chains." Roan called to Severus's back. He paused in his retreat, "I don't know what your talking about!" he shot angrily over his shoulder. Roan smirked.

Remus and Sirius raised their eyebrows, expecting Roan to explain. "Well…I was sent to the Shrieking shack like you were, Remus. But I didn't have animagus friends to keep me company, I bit and scratched myself so badly I would be in the hospital wing days after the full moon. Someone saw me enter the passageway under the Whomping Willow and with my sickness and absences every month, they put two and two together. The next morning of my return owls dropped everything from howlers to leashes on my plate. That horrible Mildred Bulstrode was behind it, I could smell that fetid perfume she used to douse herself in on everything. I lost most of the few friends I had, except Bill and Charley Weasley, they would bring me candies and my homework when I was recovering in the hospital wing." She finished. 

"So which one did you like more?" Remus asked smiling mischievously. 

"I loved both of them, but we were never more than friends. Afraid of what would happen if…I , you know." she said blushing slightly.

A knock reverberated through the stone walled kitchen. Sirius shot up, "Harry's here!" he looked truly pleased.

"Shit, I look a mess!" Roan hissed swallowing the rest of her coffee as she ran up the stairs, doing a complicated flick of her wand that sent the mugs to the sink where they were washed and then sent flying into a cupboard.

"That girl is forever causing a racket in this house! Honestly I don't know who's worse, her or that clumsy girl, Tonks." Mrs. Wealsey, was always complaining about the girls but her voice betrayed her annoyance. "Well at least she's figured out how to get rid of that awful painting," Bill said as he followed his mother into the kitchen. They were followed by Ginny, Hermione, Ron, and a few moments later Harry who paused on the last step. 

Harry stood shaken. He looked at Sirius and did a slight nod of the head as if all his doubts about the mirror had been wiped away, seeing Sirius had still felt like a dream to him. But there he was just a few feet away. His long black hair, dark eyes, thin face, it wasn't a dream. Sirius limped to Harry and they stared at each other a few seconds longer, then Sirius pulled Harry into an embrace. Sirius ruffled Harry's already disheveled hair. "Wonderful to see you, Harry, I thought this would never happen again." Sirius said , ushering Harry to a seat. 

"What would never happen again, Sirius?" Harry asked smiling in a dazed sort of way.

"Why seeing you! Everyone back here! Even without Kreacher's mutterings, the house sounds too much like my parents." Sirius said.

"What happened to Kreacher?" Hermoine said, looking slightly alarmed, as if Kreacher's head had joined his mother's.

"Tonks gave him clothes." Sirius said with a short bark like laugh.

"But I thought Kreacher didn't consider her family." Harry asked.

"He didn't, not until that day. She was furious, said she gave him the most disgusting sock she could find. He acted ecstatic, kept bowing and muttering how he could return to Narcissa and her pure blood family." Sirius said smiling.

"Remus, dear what happened to you?" Mrs. Weasley's shrill voice silenced the room.

 "Nothing, Molly. It was a full moon, Roan , well myself for that matter, is not used to being with another werewolf during transfiguration." Remus said backing away from Mrs.Wealey who had her wand raised to help heal the many wounds Remus had acquired. "Harry, well I think I'll save a true welcome until after I've cleaned up a bit!" Remus said patting Harry's shoulder.

"Roan's a werewolf, too?" Harry asked sitting down next to Sirius.

"Yes, didn't you see that horrid brand on her hand?" Hermione said looking all of a sudden very upset.

"Yes, but I thought it was just another tattoo or something," Harry answered.

"Oh, no Harry. There are a lot of wizards who, well hate half-breeds. If one is ever caught by those idiots while transfigured, or whatever it is they do, they're given a mark." Hermione continued in her all knowing tone.

"A mark?" Ron asked, now enthralled in the conversation.

"A mark showing others what they are. The horrible thing is that the Ministry doesn't have any laws protecting half-breeds, particularly werewolves, when they are transformed." Hermione finished looking scandalized.

 "She can't even apply for a job with the Ministry because they say that if a werewolf has been given a mark it's because they're a danger," Sirius said looking angry.

"Well, that was after my first inquiry, Sirius, I got arrested in Transylvania for running with a pack of undocumented werewolves. It was the Transylvanian Aurors, or whatever they call them, that branded me. And then I lost my temper at another inquiry and gave Umbridge a broken nose. Spent five days in Azkaban for that one. All hopes for a Ministry career went out the fucking window," Roan said, reemerging and looking almost normal, except for the bites on her neck and shoulder. Sirius smiled at her and waved a chair open for her.

"Dear, why don't you ask Severus if he'll whip something up for those bites?" Molly asked , magiking large platters of food onto the table.

"Well, Molly, I would but Severus would rather watch me drink essence of silver at the moment," Roan said smiling innocently, "and besides they're additions to my rapidly growing collection of scars."

She sat opposite Sirius and Harry, who were once again deep in conversation. Every once and a while Sirius would say something like, 'You're almost taller than your father' or 'That stubble makes you look older, mate.'

"So, Roan, Bill tells me you were quite the beater." Ron asked after his third helping of breakfast.

"Um, I don't know. Being a werewolf gives me extra strength, kind of an unfair advantage," She said, looking sideways down the table at Bill.

"You would have been even better if you hadn't left the team." Bill said.

"Fred and George came the year after Charlie left and they were the best beaters   
Gryffindor has ever seen." Roan said matter of factly.

"Why'd you leave the team?" Hermione asked.

"The cup game ran late, Gryffindor against Slytherin of course. I forgot about the full moon, at least until I saw Professor Snape running onto the field seconds after Bill caught the snitch. He was furious, said it was bad enough I had  bit him, but to put my whole team in danger was the most appalling thing he'd ever seen. He was right, I quit the next day... My bites don't transfer lycanthropy but I refused to take the chance that I might hurt someone." Roan said shrugging her shoulders.

"Remus, I'm glad to see I didn't leave any lasting damage," Roan said, changing the subject quickly as Remus reentered the kitchen looking once again clean shaven and handsome. 

The remainder of the day passed uneventfully, which was welcome to Harry and Sirius as it gave them a chance to talk about what happened just six short weeks ago. Roan taught Ron and Hermione how to destroy the rest of the paintings, while she tackled a boggart that had take residence in a medicine cabinet. Hermione let out a shrill cry as she came upon Roan and the boggart . Her cry brought Sirius and Remus running into the bathroom. The boggart had taken the form of Remus, laying on the floor covered in blood. With a 'pop' it turned into Sirius, his neck having been ripped open.  With another resonating 'pop' the boggart finally turned into Voldemort. "Ridikulus" Roan bellowed, the boggart Voldemort tripped over its robes and blew apart when Roan laughed at it. "Calm down, Hermione. You have to overcome your fears sometime." Roan said stepping indifferently passed the still shocked girl. She avoided both Remus and Sirius's eyes.

***

"Well, off to bed with you lot!" Mrs. Weasley called as soon as she had the dinner plates cleared.

"Mum, it's barely ten o'clock," Ron said. 

"I don't care what bloody time it is, The Order is having an urgent meeting, out!," Mrs. Weasley said ushering out everyone but Sirius, Remus and a very nervous looking Roan.

"Now wait a minute woman!" George said, who had arrived before dinner with Fred.

"In case you've forgotten," Fred continued putting his hand up to stop Mrs. Wealsey from pushing them any further, "George and I,"

"And me!" said a disgruntled looking Bill.

"Are members of the Order," said George.

"And as such, have the right to be in on the meetings." Fred said.

"Not this one! Senior members only. Now off with the lot of you!" Mrs. Weasley, who was shorter than all her children and Harry, stood and pointed determinedly towards the stairs. With much grumbling the brood left the dining room.


	3. The Meeting

Author: Elora Dark

Title: Harry Potter and the Trials to Come

Rating: R for language and implied, not graphic, sex

Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling (because if I were I would not have killed Sirius in the first place), nor do I make any money from this story. All characters, except Roan Draven, belong to Ms. Rowling. 

Chapter 3: The Meeting 

            "Oh, I do hope Roan will keep her temper!" Hermione whispered  as the gang slowly ascended the stairs.

            "What do you mean, Hermione?" Ron asked.

            "The meetings about Roan, whether she's…a liability in the Order." Hermione said faintly.

            "What do you mean liability? She saved Sirius's life!" Harry almost shouted.

            "I know that , I'm not the one that called the meeting. Besides she broke major magical laws when she brought Sirius back." Hermione said defensively.

            "But he wasn't dead. The rest of them, they would have just let him rot there forever!" Harry spat. The others gave him a wider berth on the staircase, knowing that his temper was near its boiling point.

            "Ladies and Gentleman, let us not fear that outcome of said meeting," George said.

            "Here for your approval," Fred said.

            "Extendable ears version 2.0, regularly 9 galleons, but for family," George said as he and Fred handed each what looked like a long flesh colored piece of string. A few moments later seven extendable ears descended down the stair railing and crawled under the dining room door.

            "Those magiks have been outlawed for centuries! Anything could have come out of that veil, you stupid girl!" Snape's angry voice immediately broke through.

            "It was the only way I could get to Sirius!" Roan yelled back.

            "And I thank you again, it was dreadfully dark there," Sirius said in an off-hand tone.

            "This is no time for jokes, Black. We're here to determine if this rash, ignorant child can be trusted to be a teacher at Hogwarts! I would think , being Potter's guardian, you would want to know if she's capable of teaching him anything important." Snape replied.

            "I may be rash and young but I am not ignorant! I have seen the Dark Arts in action. I have fought against Voldemort and his followers since I was a child. I defied my parents and almost died for it…on more than one occasion!" Roan shouted.

            "Calm down, kid." Remus's calm voice whispered to Roan.

"Oh, yes we all know who your parents were!" Snape sneered.

"I am not my parents! I thought I proved that on my FIRSYT DAY at Hogwarts!" Roan yelled, "I knew  what would happen if I went against my parents, against Voldemort!" at this there were several sharp intakes of breath, "And I still begged…begged the Sorting Hat not to put me in Slytherin!" Ron turned to look at Harry with raised eyebrows.

"Ah, yes the bleeding heart story," Snape simpered.

"That is enough!" Dumbledore's calm, clear voice ensued silence. "We are here to discuss necessary precautions that must be made for Roan's return to Hogwarts."

"Well I'll tell you right now, Headmaster, I am not going back to the Shrieking Shack unless I have Sirius or Remus to keep me company," Roan interjected, there were muffled laughs that followed. As if Sirius and Remus had put their fists in their mouths to keep from laughing out loud.

"Yes, right-o. I'm almost back to tip top shape. I think the Shrieking Shack will be a lovely vacation from this place, eh Moony?" Sirius's amused voice broke the silence.

"Dumbledore, how can you trust this… schoolgirl to teach?" Snape's exasperated voice once again filled the extendable ears.

"Because Severus," Dumbledore spoke more loudly to make sure all in attendance were listening, "She does have the experience."

"She may have links to the Dark Lord that have not been discovered." Snape hissed.

"And if I do , I will leave at once. Voldemort wants me dead, he wants me dead because my parents gave me power, power that belonged to him and those he imparted it on.," Roan drew a long shaky breath, "I can't even describe the feelings of hate and disgust towards my parents. Night after night they would come home with other people's blood on them. They would tell me of the muggles and wizards they killed to please the Dark Lord. How one day I be at his right hand, a willing vessel through which he could spread his dark magic," Roan choked, disgusted with the memories.

"If there is some lingering connection, beside the dreams and feelings, that binds me to his will…I _will_ kill myself before he ever takes me. Dumbledore, Severus believe me when I tell you that I will lay down me life to make sure the Dark Lord is defeated. The lines will be drawn and those kids need to know what's coming. This war is going to be a thousand times worse than his last ascension, many wizards will die and I will do everything in my power to make sure that Harry is not one of them." Roan finished.

"How very touching, I suppose you and Black will be his guard dogs," Snape said in a barely audible whisper. At this there was the sound of a chair crashing; Harry amusedly thought that Sirius had lost his balance while propped up on two legs of his chair and fallen backwards. Instead there was the sound of a fight breaking out.

"Watch what you say to her, Snivellus!" Sirius shouted. Then the hollow 'thowck' of a fist making contact with a face was heard.

"Oh, Sirius you fool!" Mrs. Weasley's voice broke over the fight.

"Shut up, Molly! You've been on Sirius's back since the minute he returned!" Roan shouted at Mrs. Weasley.

"Don't you talk to my wife that way!" Mr. Weasley shouted at Roan.

"Fuck the both of you, then!" Roan yelled back.

"Sirius, Padfoot! Damn it! Break it up!" Remus's voice echoed over the extendable ears as he pulled Sirius off Snape. A loud bang broke the sounds of the fight.

"Act…acting like a…like a muggle!" Snape gasped, "Haven't…enough strength…to…use…your…wand!"

"No…I just thought…you needed to learn…some manners, and a fist…to that…greasy face of yours…would teach…you!" Sirius answered, "Let go Moony, I'm done."

"Gentlemen, Ladies if we can remember why we called this meeting," Dumbledore once again spoke. "Roan you will be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher! Severus if you will be kind enough to brew the wolfsbane potion for her, it would be much appreciated."

"Yes, of course Headmaster," Severus answered.

"If you see anything, Roan, sense anything relating to Voldemort or Harry I am to be informed at once is that understood?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes, Headmaster." Roan answered, she sounded very young and alone.

"Very well, meeting adjourned." Dumbledore said.

Seven pairs of extendable ears were retracted seconds before the dining room door was opened. "Hurry up, here comes mum and dad," Ginny whispered.

They separated and went to their rooms, just jumping under the blankets before Mrs. Weasley opened the door to check on them.


	4. Her Dark Past

Author: Elora Dark, email eloradark@hotmail.com

Title: Harry Potter and the Trials to Come

Rating: R for language 

Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling (because if I were I would not have killed Sirius in the first place), nor do I make any money from this story. All characters, except Roan Draven, belong to Ms. Rowling. 

Chapter 4: Her Dark Past 

            Several hours later Harry had still not fallen asleep, so he decided to venture into the kitchen and see if anyone else was awake. Low mumbles came from the kitchen. A single candle lit the large room. Two huddled figures sat at the end of the long table furthest from Harry. They were deep in conversation, faces inches from each other. 

"Um…hmm," Harry mumbled.

"Ah, Harry join us!" answered Sirius. Roan, who was sitting crossed legged on the table, smiled and waved her hand. The chair on the other side of Sirius backed up for Harry. Roan seemed very interested in a spot on the table and fidgeted restlessly.

"I couldn't sleep," Harry mumbled. He knew he had probably interrupted something between Sirius and Roan but didn't really care. After all, Sirius was his godfather and Roan was no one.

"Have a butterbeer, maybe that'll help," Roan said as she conjured a mug for Harry. 

"So did you want to talk about the meeting," Sirius asked smiling sideways at Harry.

"How'd you know I listened?" Harry asked surprised.

"Remus saw those…extendable ear thingy's crawling under the door," Roan grimaced slightly and began looking at anything but Harry and Sirius, "They really are disgusting looking, you know…." She trailed off now looking at a spot on the ceiling.

"I…um…was just wondering about the…uhm, what's your connection with Voldemort?" Harry asked looking straight ahead of him. Just thinking that she had been a supporter of Voldemort's was making his anger rise.

Roan looked at Harry's profile then at Sirius, she bit her lip contemplating. "Just tell him, it'll be worse if someone else does." Sirius told her.

She smiled incredulous, "Sometimes it sucks to be me…" she muttered.

"I know how you feel, " Harry answered her, now looking at her.

"Yeah, I know you do." She met his brilliant green eyes for a second, "My parents, Chrystalla Fowl and Artemis Draven, were Tom Riddle's closest friends. They knew him as Lord Voldemort before the rest of the world. The three of them, they were brilliant. My mother was in love with Tom, but he disappeared after Hogwarts. And then one day He sent her a letter telling her to marry Artemis, but to have no children."

"When Tom returned he was unrecognizable to everyone but my parents, he'd been so corrupted by the Dark Arts. They helped him extend his life, their life. Tom gave them permission to have a child and Chrystalla pledged my allegiance to the Dark Lord. My mother offered me to Voldemort as a vessel. I was born, as were several other children, for the sole purpose of becoming a body that Vodlemort could take over and  use. There's only one Voldmort but with us, he could be all over the world at the same instant. He accepted and I was only a few days old when he gave me this." Roan showed the Death Eater tattoo on her wrist. "By giving me this, he was bound into a magical contract, one that could only be broken if I were killed. Anyone who wears this mark is connected to Voldemort, he knows where we are and what we're doing….Of course he would kill me and my parents if he ever felt anything but undying loyalty; So to make sure I followed Voldemort they placed all sorts of curses and hexes on me. A warning, a threat of what would happen to me if I ever turned my back on the Dark Lord." She smiled slightly.

"But when he disappeared the night he killed your parents, it was like the world had ended. My mother and father went ballistic, they had given up everything to follow him and for him to be defeated by a baby…. They killed so many people that night…before the Aurors got to them."

"Are they still in Azkaban?" Harry asked.

"No there wasn't even enough of them to bury."

"And the curses?" Harry asked

"When I arrived at Hogwarts 6 years later, I knew that I still had his power in me. If the Sorting Hat saw that I'd be put in Slytherin, just like my parents. I fought with the Sorting Hat for a while and then finally it screamed 'Gryffindor' and I knew that my fate wasn't sealed. I could be whoever I wanted to be and no one would need know that I was once destined to be exploited by the Dark Lord. It was the happiest time of my life, until the next morning. I got a howler from my mother she had written it years before, just in case ya know? It went on for ages…I was disowned, I had forfeited all of my inheritance, it went to the Malfoy estate like they needed it, said I'd be better off killing myself because no one would ever take me, blah ,blah, blah. Anyways I _turned wolf_ the next full moon, that was just the beginning. My first kiss, Bill, he got these giant boils all over his body, luckily Madame Pomfry had a stockpile of bobutber pus. But Dumbledore, he's helped me find counter curses for the 'others'."

Harry was still not looking at Roan, he seemed to be poised at the edge of his chair, muscles tensed like a cat ready to spring. "How do you know you can't still be taken by Voldemort and used against us?" Harry asked turning viscously to face Roan and Sirius.

"I don't, but like I said if sense any interference I'll disappear. I'm selfish, but not so much as to put hundreds of students at risk. I'm not being sent to Hogwarts because I'm the most qualified person for the job. I being placed there so Dumbledore can make sure I don't do anything stupid. And I'm the closest thing he has to a true seer, Trelawney has two prophecies to her name. I dream, I sense and more likely than not it happens. …Voldemort's going to kill me, I've dreamt about it a hundred times; They've gotten more vivid this past year, it's only a matter of time, I take a shortcut, stay out after dark, he'll find Me; Dumbledore and Snape just want to make sure I don't go looking for confirmation." She stayed very calm, but Sirius slammed his fist into the table.

"Will you quit fucking talking like that, nothing is going to fucking happen to you." He whispered furiously. Roan looked at him sideways, studying his face. She smiled slightly, sadly. Sirius wanted to sound like he cared deeply for Roan, but she could feel that the only person he could love right now was Harry. He wanted nothing more than to be a father and friend to the young man

"Harry, Voldemort fears you. He didn't need the prophecy to tell him that…" she paused, shook her head, it seemed to be getting harder for her to speak, "you're going to be the death of him." Roan stopped talking, she grasped her head in her hands and sat for a few seconds hunched over, and small shivers shook her frame. 

"Roan, kid what's the matter?" Sirius asked, trying to shake her leg.

Roan rolled her head up to slowly look at Harry and then Sirius. "Voldemort just wanted to know why, why you," Roan slid off the table onto shaky legs, "What is so _fucking_ special about you?" she slowly walked towards Harry, "How could a child continue to defeat the Dark Lord?"

Harry backed up so suddenly he lost balance and toppled off his chair, his scar had begun searing with pain. Roan's black eyes shined malevolently in the near darkness. 

"Sirius….help…" Harry grasped the table for his wand, his head feeling like it would be torn in tow if Roan took another step towards him. Sirius jumped up from his chair and tackled Roan to the stone floor. Harry fell on his knees, shaking, willing himself not to throw up. Roan was screaming and convulsing under Sirius,  thin trails of blood had begun to run down her nose and eyes.

"What the bloody hell!!!" Remus said running into the kitchen. And just as suddenly Roan stopped fighting and went completely limp under Sirius. "What happened in here? She almost woke up the whole house!" Remus said helping Harry back into a chair.

"Voldemort…he…I'm gonna be sick," Roan's pale, shaking form murmured. Sirius helped her stand and walk to the sink. "I'm so sorry Harry. He's so strong now, I can't…block those memories."

"That was a bloody memory!?" Harry demanded. He grasped his wand so tight his knuckles had gone white.

"Oh…Merlin…please don't tell Severus, he'll…I'll never be allowed to leave the house." Roan said miserably, she wiped furiously at the blood staining her face.

"I…I'm going to bed." Harry muttered, turning irritably and leaving the kitchen. Sirius and Remus sat down on either side of Roan, who was sobbing angrily into her arms.


	5. Fighting Amongst Friends

Author: Elora Dark, email eloradark@hotmail.com

Title: Harry Potter and the Trials to Come

Rating: R for language 

Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling (because if I were I would not have killed Sirius in the first place), nor do I make any money from this story. All characters, except Roan Draven, belong to Ms. Rowling.

Chapter 5: Fighting Amongst Friends 

            No one spoke of the happenings of the previous night during breakfast. Roan did not even look up from her coffee cup when Ron greeted her. Sirius and Remus kept exchanging furtive glances between Harry and the deadened form of Roan. 

            "We need to speak with you upstairs, Roan." Remus murmured lowly, leaning down to Roan's ear. She stirred slightly and slowly followed Sirius and Remus out of the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley made disapproving clucking noises with her tongue.

"They're going to kill her if they keep this up much longer…" she muttered angrily. Harry rolled his eyes and Hermione looked unruffled.

"Oh, I have to show you the books I found in the Black library, they're amazing, original issues, all sorts of spells we'd never learn at Hogwarts." Hermione was babbling as they climbed the stairs to the third floor of the Black House. "Ouch! What the? A blocking spell…" Hermione rubbed her forehead angrily as she seemingly to bounced off thin air at the third floor landing. 

"Leave them be for a while! Get down here and help me clean this carpet!" Mrs. Weasley called up the stairs. Hermione looked very upset at having to put off her reading, Harry and Ron looked forlornly over their shoulder. Anything was better then cleaning with Mrs. Weasley.

"You little bugger! I'll teach you to bite me!" Ron muttered angrily at a nasty looking patch of carpet. They had all chosen a different scrubbing spell to clean an area of carpet, Hermione's was by far the best. Her spot had actually changed from a grimy, sooty black color to a putrid brown shade after several hours of scrubbing. 

"Well, I think you three deserve a break." Mrs. Wealey called cheerily as she brought up a large platter of sandwiches. After much scrubbing and comparison of bites Ron, Hermione, and Harry enjoyed their lunch.

"YOU DON'T KNOW! YOU WILL NEVER KNOW HOW IT FEELS!" Roan's angry voice echoed throughout the house. Something large was knocked onto to the floor and Ron, Hermione and Harry were covered in dust raining down from the large chandelier. 

"ROAN, DAMN IT! LOOK AT IT FROM OUR PRESPECTIVE! WHAT IF…WHAT IF YOU ATTACK HARRY AND WE CAN'T STOP YOU!" Remus was now bellowing.

"ATTACK HIM! I'VE BARELY ENOUGH STRENGTH TO GET OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING! I'VE GIVEN EVERYTHING I AM TO HELP YOU! I SAVED YOUR SORRY ASS, SIRIUS! AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?" Roan was screaming almost hysterically now.

"I never asked YOU TO! Harry is the most important thing right now, you know that! It's…" Sirius was trying to manage a placating voice, but his anger was very tangible.

"If you want me to leave just FUCKING SAY SO!" Roan screamed back at them, she sounded more hurt than angry.

"That is bloody well enough!" Mrs. Weasley came running up the stairs, looking very disheveled, she banged on the invisible barrier angrily with her wand. "Knock it off you three! Just come down and have a cup of tea!" She was met by the sound of several doors being blown shut. 

"You're both bloody cowards! I can feel it inside of you!…Fine, I'll leave!" Roan yelled. Harry, Ron, and Hermione cautiously stuck their head out of the drawing room. Roan was running up another flight of stairs and disappeared for several minutes. The sound of crashing echoed throughout the house. 

"Roan, it's not like Sirius doesn't want you to come back. School will be starting in a few days, you're invited to come every weekend!" Remus was standing on the third floor landing yelling up at Roan. She appeared carrying two large bags and a broomstick, her emerald green traveling cloak was trying haphazardly to fasten around her neck.

"Of course, I'm bloody invited back on the weekends! So _he_ can siphon out any remaining strength I have! Have you even noticed how well you look! You haven't looked so fucking healthy since before you went to fucking Azkaban! And you've never once said 'Thank you Roan for killing yourself so I can feel young again'" Roan was hysterical now, beyond crying. Her bags floated beside her and kept bumping into the wall. Harry noticed for the first time how dull Roan's skin had become and the dark circles under her young eyes, gray hair was even showing itself in her once bright tresses.

"What's that supposed to fucking mean!" Sirius yelled angrily as Roan stormed down the stairs. She broke the barrier charm and every door in the house blew open by an unfelt wind.

Roan did a shrinking charm on her luggage, tied it quickly to  the back of her broomstick and left Grimmauld Place without even looking back. "She didn't have to leave right now. It's not safe to travel at night!" Mrs. Weasley was shaking with suppressed anger. "And you know she's right Sirius, and you Remus, have either one of you looked at her lately! Hmmm…"

Remus shifted uncomfortably, he hadn't said anything to Sirius about the dangers of using Roan as a means to rid himself of all his pent up anger and frustration. Or to Roan about willingly giving her very life essence to restore Sirius. Sirius stared at Molly, his eyes glowing with hostility. He _had_ noticed that with every passing connection he made with Roan he felt better, younger than he had in years; He'd noticed the way she would stumble up the stairs and collapse onto her bed for hours, waking hours later looking worse.

"On top of that she's still trying to plan her lessons! She hasn't got anywhere else to go! How dare the both of you!" Mrs. Weasley turned angrily and whipped back down the stairs still muttering heatedly. 

"I'll check on her tomorrow, sure she's gone to Diagon Alley anyways." Remus muttered before retreating to his room.

"Sirius, come have some tea." Hermione cautiously climbed a few steps towards Sirius. He had still been gazing angrily at the front door and seemed to brake out of a trance. "Maybe later." He grumbled before slamming the doors of the library shut again.


	6. School Starts

Author: Elora Dark

Title: Harry Potter and the Trials to Come

Rating: R for language 

Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling (because if I were I would not have killed Sirius in the first place), nor do I make any money from this story. All characters, except Roan Draven, belong to Ms. Rowling.

Authors Note: No Sorting Hat song because I don't have the patience to write one.

Chapter 6 

The next few days passed in a blur. Harry spent as much time with Sirius as possible, as he would not be able to see him in person until Christmas break. Remus disappeared every morning and returned late in the evening. Roan remained absent as did Snape who had already returned to Hogwarts.

"I want you four to pack your things tonight, we won't have enough time tomorrow morning, understand?" Mrs. Weasley told Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny before sending them to their rooms early.

"Barely nine o'clock and already sending us to bed! That woman…Last day before school starts…" Ron grumbled all the way up the stairs.

"Well, I'm going to ask Sirius if I can borrow some of those books. Those spells look like they'd be very useful." Hermione said smiling, as she and Ginny left Ron and Harry at their room.

"Do you suppose we'll be able to start up the Defense Club again, Harry?" Ron asked as they started emptying out drawers and folding their clothes. Harry shrugged his shoulders, not really caring while throwing his belongings chaotically into his trunk, finally placing a small wrapped parcel gently on top. "Is that the mirror, then? You actually gonna use that thing now?" Ron asked, straightening up and changing into his bed things. 

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Harry asked viscously. "I didn't ask you to follow me to the ministry!" he said taking a menacing step towards Ron. Ron who was several inches taller than Harry, still took a step back.

"That's not what I meant, mate. Look never mind, I think we should just get some sleep, huh?" Ron said, raising his hands in a peace-making offer. Harry turned from Ron and faced the empty frame of Phineas Nigellus's portrait. He took several shaky breaths, suppressing the anger that had become almost its own entity. Finally Harry climbed into his bed, still facing away from Ron and muttered 'extinguish' at the lights.

"Ron, Harry time to get up! Hurry so you can have some breakfast before we leave!" Mrs. Weasley said turning the lights on as bright as possible. They dressed half asleep and joined everyone in the kitchen for breakfast. 

"Hi guys!" Tonks greeted them cheerily as they descended the steps. Mad-Eye, Mundungus Fletcher, and Roan had also arrived sometime in the early morning.

Sirius sat quiet and brooding at a far corner of the table, every few minutes his eyes would dart to Roan and Remus who sat with heads together. Roan had brought several large and dusty volumes to the table and she and Remus sat pouring over last minute changes to her lesson plans. "I hate essays, never learned a damn thing from them. Practical application was my favorite part." Roan muttered as she sorted the large books into different piles.

"Then don't give them any, I'm sure Severus will give them enough when he subs." Remus answered.

"Sirius, your sure its alright that I borrow all these books?" Roan asked not looking up from her notes. "They're not cursed are they?"

"Yes." He grunted.

"Yes to which part. That they're cursed or I can borrow them?" She asked smiling mischievously, the few days spent away from Grimmauld had brought color back into her cheeks. Sirius opened his mouth to retort, thought against it and instead turned away from the werewolves to speak with his godson.

"Disarming spells the Ministry doesn't want you to Know, Advanced Self-Defense Spells, The Auror's Handbook…, theses are some of the books I was looking for," Hermione said looking at the precariously stacked volumes.

"Don't worry Hermione, you'll learn all these spells in class," Roan muttered, sending a book soaring into an open trunk. 

All too soon Mrs. Wealey was bustling Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny out of the kitchen. "Time to leave, hurry now!"

Tonks did a quick change and now looked like a very intimidating bodybuilder. Moody muttered something that sounded distinctly like "Constant Vigilance"  as they headed out. Mundungus Fletcher kept readjusting his bulky overcoat and giving Mrs. Weasley innocent smiles. "Hey! Wait a tick, what about Roan?" Ron called over everyone's head.

"I have a few more things I have to do first, I'll be flying." Roan's voice wafted up from the kitchen.

"Harry, wait!" Sirius called, he grabbed Harry's shoulder and held him behind. "I want to hear from you, understand. Use the mirror, or I'll come climbing through a fireplace at an inopportune moment."

"Yeah, Sirius," Harry smiled for the first time in a few days, "I'll talk to you tonight, ok? See you soon." He quickly hugged Sirius and then was pushed out the front door by Mrs. Weasley.

The trip to King's Cross was, for the most part, uneventful. Until a little boy had the misfortune to bump into Mad-eye. Moody in turn, spun around faster than anyone thought possible, "Cowards trying to curse me while my back is turned!" he threw off his hat revealing his very scarred face and sent the little boy screaming back to his mother.

"Forgot to take your meds today, Uncle Bob!" Ron called loudly, as several muggles stopped to check out the commotion. Upon hearing that Moody was more than a little unbalanced they quickly turned back to their own business. The group reformed and quickly walked to the magical barrier between platforms 9 and 10. 

"Be good, try and stay out of trouble, hmmm?" Mrs. Weasley said kissing everyone on the forehead. She paused for an extra second in front of Harry, then straightened the collar of his sweatshirt. "Do watch yourself, Harry."

"Be careful! Have a great year!" Tonks called as Ron, Ginny, Hermione and Harry boarded the Hogwarts Express. Most of the compartments were already filled with students chatting about the summer's escapades. They finally found a compartment at the back of the train. "Well, we'll see you in a little while. Have to patrol and speak with the other prefects." Hermione said as she and Ron pinned on their prefects badge and left the compartment.

Several hours later the train pulled into Hogsmeade Station. The wind howled mercilessly and the rain pelted them with such force it stung. 

"Firs' years this way!" Hagrid's great, shaggy head appeared over the milling students. The lantern he was holding swung violently with each gust of wind. "How ya doin' Harry?" Hagrid's great booming voice caused several first years to jump. Harry called a reply but it was lost in the downpour of wind and rain. "See ya at the feast then!" he voice sounded far away as Hagrid led the first years to the boats. 

Harry and Ginny ran heads down against the wind to the Thestral drawn carriages, where they met up with Hermione, Ron and a few seconds later a very wet Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood. They clambered into the carriage and sat shivering in their wet robes, before Hermione showed them how to do a quick drying spell.

"Do you suppose Roan got here? Suppose she got blown off course?" Ron asked as a sudden strong gust of wind shook the carriage violently.

"Professor Draven, Ron. We are back at Hogwarts, remember?" said Hermione crossly. Ron went slightly pink and made a great act of straightening his Prefects badge. "and, I don't think it would be wise spending too much time with her anyways." She added.

"And why the bloody hell, not?" Ron asked.

"Well, if you looked into empaths maybe you would learn something about them?" She said haughtily.

"Are you going to tell us, or just act like a git?" Harry asked. Hermione shot him a hurt look.

"True empaths, those that can sense real emotion and see a person's memories, usually end up in St. Mungo's Psych ward. They can't tell the difference from someone else's memories or emotions from their own. Most of them go crazy, and if you don't mind me saying I think Roan is well on her way.' She said as the wagon was shook violently by the gales of wind.

Finally the carriages came to a lurching halt outside the giant doors of Hogwarts castle. The rain beat violently down on the hundreds of students trying to push through the doors. The Great Hall was lit as usual by hundreds of floating candles; the enchanted ceiling showed a purple and black sky. Ron, Harry and Hermione took seats at the end of Gryffindor table.

"She's not here yet!" Ron whispered.

"Fancy her do you?" Hermione mumbled.

"No, just hoping to she could give me some pointers 'bout Quidditch is all." Said Ron, tuning bright red.

"But you're a keeper and she was a beat…" Hermione was forced to stop her nagging as Professor McGonagall brought out the three legged stool and Sorting Hat. The large rip in the enchanted hat opened and as it was last year, the Sorting Hat's song was more of a warning, even more ominous then last year's. Then one by one the frightened first years were sorted into their houses. Everyone remained silent and looked expectantly at Dumbledore to begin his annual welcoming speech.

Dumbledore stood and looked around at the Great Hall, he smiled brightly at his students. "Well, another year begins…" his voice rang clear and crisp to every ear in the hall. "I wish I could start the year with a joyous welcome to you, new and returning pupils. But as  I finished last year with a warning I too will begin this year with another." He continued to scan the Great Hall from behind his half-moon glasses. "Voldemort has returned, I expect Prefects and Older students to explain the importance of this to our new students of Muggle lineage." At this Hermione smiled to several first years and puffed her chest a bit.

"I must once again stress the importance of inter-house friendship," he eyed the Slytherin table for a few extra seconds, "and the bonds of family. The ability to love and be loved, these are powers that Voldemort despises, they are his weakness." He looked back to the Slytherin table, several of these students now had one or both parents in Azkaban; having been caught at the Ministry for being Death Eaters.

"Now a bit of liter news, we have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor," Dumbledore said smiling, even though there was still an empty chair on the other side of Snape. Several groans erupted in the Great Hall, too many remembered Umbridge and her dictatorship from last year.

A door behind the staff table opened discreetly and Roan, looking like she had been through a tornado, sat quickly next to Professor Snape. 

"Ah, and her she is," Dumbledore turned to acknowledge Roan. Color crept into Roan's pale cheeks as she nervously tried to straighten her hair and robes as she stood and bowed to Dumbledore. "Forgive my tardiness, Headmaster I got blown over the Irish Sea." She said smiling, several small leaves and twigs fell out of her hair as she bowed; some Slytherins laughed and pointed. 

"Well…let's eat," the plates were magically filled to overflowing with numerous dishes. The hall at once erupted as conversations were picked back up.

The plates cleared, Ron and Hermione stood and yelled to the first years. "Well see you in the common room!" Ron said.

"Wait, what's the password?" Harry asked.

"Lycanthrope." Ron whispered, smiling. He and Hermione left the Great Hall being followed by the group of first years.

Harry slowly made his way to the staff table where Roan was talking with several of her old Professors. "Wonderful to have you back, Roan. I don't think I could have stood another Ministry official poking their nose around." Tiny Professor Flitwick squeaked. Roan gave a short, familiar bark like laugh as Flitwick shuffled away.

"Harry, how was the trip, easier than mine I hope." She said nervously, she wiped her hands on her robes.

"It was fine. You, um, sounded like Snuffle's, his laugh I mean." Harry said looking at Roan, she was fidgeting and looking around.

"That happens sometimes, I take on people's traights. It doesn't last that long, usually…Did you need something?" she said.

"I want to use your fireplace to visit Snuffles on the weekends. I want to get out of here sometimes." Harry asked nervously, shuffling his feet.

"Um, well…I have to…let me make sure its safe. I need to put reflective spells aroumd it so the Ministry can't track it. It'll take me a while, plus I'll have to ask Sirius…"

Harry shot his head up, nervousness replaced by anger in an instant. "Do you think I can't protect myself? I just want to see my godfather, get away from all this shit sometimes. Is that…is that some big fucking demand?" Harry hissed at Roan, crshing her wrist in his seeker grip. Red hot anger and frustration flowed from Harry into Roan. The Great Hall turned into a throbbing, blinding red pain as Harry vented more anger into Roan.

"Harry…please…stop," Roan moaned, finally wrenching her hand away from Harry's grip. She staggered slightly and grasped at the long staff table.

"What's going on here? Potter, get to your dormitory!" Snape said  walking towards them swiftly. Snape looked fiercely at the both of them through his curtain of greasy black hair. Harry glared at Roan's shaking form then at Snape. He then turned and left the Great Hall.

"Draven, what's wrong with you?" Snape asked distractedly.

"Oh, piss off, Severus, you're not my guardian anymore!" Roan spat angrily at Snape. She couldn't keep Harry's anger bottled up, she had to vent it somewhere. She clenched and unclenched her fists in quick hard pumps. Then stalked out of the hall in much the same manner as Harry.


End file.
